By attending our digital groups, Betty learnt to send photos to friends and keep in touch with family through her mobile phone.
Our Reconnect digital groups take place in community hubs across Edinburgh and the Lothians every week and are open to anyone who to drop by for tailored digital support. Sometimes those who attend our groups can be unsure where to start their digital journey, which can often be the case for those who have been digitally excluded or opted not to interact with digital.
Such was the case for Betty who had never considered the benefits of digital. When she noticed our digital group in Easter Road stadium, which we run in partnership with the Hibernian Community Foundation, she was keen to learn more.
Stepping into the digital world
Since joining our digital group last year, Betty has been on a digital journey. Initially, she wanted to learn about computers and what she could use the internet for. As she continued to attend our group, she began to think more about how she could use digital in her day-to-day life.
Betty’s husband is in residential care and she often needs to be near a phone to receive updates. However, without a mobile phone, Betty often had to stay indoors because of this and was limited in what she could do with her days. To address this, we were able to provide Betty with a smartphone through Good Things Foundation’s Device Bank.
Betty's phone
Before the help of our Reconnect service, Betty was part of the 20% of over 65’s who did not own a smartphone in the UK. Since receiving a smartphone, Betty’s confidence has grown. Every week she comes to our digital groups with a notepad and questions for our team. Together they practice using new apps and features for her to continue practicing at home.
While the Easter Road stadium digital group runs once a week, we also have numerous other groups in different locations across Edinburgh and the Lothians. To avoid having to wait a whole week to practice something new, Betty often pops into multiple digital groups at different locations during the week to speak to our team.
Since receiving her phone in October Betty has been using WhatsApp to send pictures to family and friends when she visits her husband, as well as news apps to get the latest news and email apps to check her messages on the go.
Community resources
Our digital groups foster a welcoming environment for people to learn new digital skills as well as increase social inclusion. Betty has even been encouraging her friends to come along. We’re proud that our groups have helped so many people take their first step into the digital world and inspire them to empower others to learn digital skills.
Our Reconnect service, including our digital groups and free national Digital Support Helpline, are valuable resources for those who need support to step into the digital world.
Call our free digital support helpline on 0800 0590 690 Monday to Friday, between 10:00am and 4:00pm or find your nearest digital group by clicking below.